DARLENE SAGA: Be Careful What You Wish For: PART 3
by Storyseeker
Summary: Lana seeks to regain her lost humanity! She'd better do it fast, as the Quarrymen are about to make another attack and this time, its not against the clan! And a wish has consequences of hilarity!


_**All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company.  
No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder.  
All original characters are the property of Storyseeker.**_

_**I don't own Gargoyles or anything except the original characters in this story saga, which no one can use, without my permission! **_

_**Special thanks to Silverbolt and IX9 for proof reading and conversing ideas with me!**_

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**Somewhere Above New York City: **

"So why didn't you tell me that your clan had woken up?" Darlene asked her mother after waiting for the right moment, but seeing as there wasn't going to be much chance of that. She decided 'the hell with it' and asked her straight out.

Demona looked at her second born yet eldest hatchling and sighed "because I didn't think it was important. The clan and I no longer see eye to eye, so we stay clear of each other!"

"Why?"

"Because they… " Demona paused at what she was about to say. She was about to say her usual onslaught of words saying what she thought best described the human race when she remembered that her daughter had married one and her three children were half human. She doubted that Darlene would appreciate it if she went and insulted her hatchlings?

"We just… don't."

Darlene eyed her curiously, but didn't say anything and concentrated on her gliding. She knew her mother was hiding something, but didn't want to say anything. She already had a fair idea of what she had been about to say. It was no big secret that her mother hated humanity and she had used to tell her, when she was young, how her original clan had spent their lives defending them! She had always found it confusing, why her mother would think her clan would immediately abandon everything that they had dedicated themselves to, for countless ages, just because she said so?

Then again, the clan hadn't lived, as long as her mother and hadn't seen the terrible atrocities that humans had committed against their race and each other. 'Humans always seem to find somebody new to fight everyday? I wonder if it's integrated in their genes or something?'

"WILL YOU STOP CRASHING INTO ME?" Lana's voice shouted.

Darlene groaned and looked back at her two eldest children, now turned hatchlings. Lana and Jarred were in the middle of yet another argument. Jarred was having more trouble, than his sister was, in learning how to control his gliding techniques. He had already bashed into her and his sister more than a few times.

"I can't help it!" Jarred groaned "it's not my fault that these stupid wings don't work right!"

"Nothing works right with you squirt!" Lana mumbled.

Demona stared at her two grandchildren, wondering if she had that big of a pain in the tail when she and her rookery kin were young? The onslaught of memories of her clan's death and betrayal suddenly came into her mind and she instantly blocked them out. Every time when she tried to think of the happier times of her clan before the massacre, she would only remember waking up and finding pieces of her loved ones all around her, staring up at her as though she were to blame.

"Mother?"

Demona looked up to her daughter's concerned face and smiled, weakly, "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."

Darlene frowned, but didn't say anything. She remembered her mother well enough to know that when she didn't want to talk about something then she never did! She cuddled her baby daughter 'Gem' closer to her, out of fear of dropping her and to give herself comfort.

It had never occurred to Darlene how much misery that she must have put her mother through, until after she had given birth to Lana. After Lana had been born, Darlene wondered how it would be for her if Lana, Jarred or Gem were to die or just disappear? The answer was… she would most likely go insane like her mother had? The very thought of anything happening to either of her precious babies was enough to make her blood run ice cold.

'God' she thought. How much agony and pain had her mother gone through in all those years while she had been away? Darlene never felt so low and ashamed with herself in her life! She had known what grief it would bring her mother, but she had done it anyway because she had just been too chicken to own up to her mother and admit to her that she was seeing a human!

Mind you, if she had then chances are, most likely, that her mother would have thrown a fit after learning that her only daughter… well, only daughter at the time anyway… was planning to mate with a human! She would have probably skinned Paul alive and locked her in her room for the next twelve decades?

Then again, maybe her union with Paul might have eventually got through to her and her mother would learn to start trusting humans again? Darlene sighed miserably 'I guess, I'll never know?' She thought.

The family gathering of three generations consisting of one _slightly _demented immortal gargress, one prodigal daughter, a new born life and two big pains in the tail, landed on Demona's balcony!

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**Eyrie Building: **

"I can't believe that they are even considering living with Demona?" Brooklyn bellowed, loudly!

The clan had called a meeting, immediately after Demona and her… family had left, to see what the others thoughts were on the subject? So far, Brooklyn had made his feelings quite clearly and that was… he didn't like Demona!

He couldn't seem to get it through his head then there were people who actually liked Demona? He had never forgiven Demona for tricking him and using him to enslave Goliath's mind, that night at the Cloisters, shortly after they had first awakened!

Since then, he was consumed with fiery hatred every time when he even got a whiff of her! He didn't let it consume him though. As long as Demona wasn't involved then he was able to keep his mind clear on the battlefield and make good decisions!

However, tonight was not one of those nights!

"Brooklyn, that's enough!" Goliath shouted over Brooklyn's ravings and Brooklyn instantly quietened down and looked, sulkily, down at his feet.

"Alright! Now what has everyone got to say about tonight's occurrence?" Goliath addressed everyone.

Brooklyn stayed silent, as he had already made his point quite clearly!

Angela spoke first "they seemed nice father! Darlene was seemingly very kind and the younger ones… well they were high spirited, but then so was I and my rookery kin when we were their age!"

"Yeah seemingly" Brooklyn muttered under his breath, but he couldn't stop thinking about the lovely Lana! She had been, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful girl Gargoyles that he had ever seen!

A wonderful Gargress with a perfect petite figure with muscles in all the right places. A beautiful smile that lit up her whole face! Blonde hair, so sunny that it looked like the sun was streaming in, blood red lips and a pair of dark twinkling eyes!

Brooklyn sighed, as he thought her. A sign that did not go unnoticed by the rest of the clan.

"Something on your mind Brooklyn?" Goliath questioned.

"Umm… ah…"

"More like someone!" Lexington smirked.

Brooklyn glared at Lex, but didn't say anything. Neither did Lex, as he was facing the same dilemma. He had hoped that he and Lana could have spent more time together before she left, but it seemed that fate had other ideas.

Both Lex and Brooklyn still found it almost impossible to believe that Darlene, Lana's mother who had been both beautiful, kind and sweet to them could possible be Demona's daughter! It had a little the same with Angela, but the Princess and the Guardian had raised Angela, so that explained that! But Demona and Demona alone had apparently raised Darlene! Yet, she had turned out into the loving woman that they had seen earlier tonight!

Who would have thought it? That Demona would end up with two sweet daughters like Angela and Darlene!

"Father?" Angela said "with all due respect. What is the point of all this? I mean, its not as if we can force Darlene and her children to leave mother and even if we did then I'm sure that they wouldn't, as they seemed to get on quite well with her? Besides this might be the best thing for mother… with a family around her then maybe she can start to get past her anger?"

Goliath frowned "no one knows better than me how much you want that Angela! Do you think that there isn't a second when I think about Demona and the gargoyle that she used to be?"

Angela kept quiet and listened to Goliath, as he spoke.

"I think about her nearly all the time about what went wrong and what I could have done that maybe would have prevented all of this from happening! Even after Demona revealed her true colours, I tried desperately to reach her and when I thought she was close to coming back to us. It turned out that she was faking it so that she could go back in time to try to use her younger self!"

Goliath closed his eyes, briefly and frowned again "maybe your are right Angela? Maybe Darlene and her children can help bring Demona back into the fold, but… do not expect me to help. As much, as I want to believe that she can change. I cannot bring myself to dare hope for her!"

With those final words, Goliath addressed his whole clan again "as far as we know. Darlene and her children pose no threat to us and so they shall be considered as… friends. But nevertheless, they are living with Demona, so take care whenever you meet with them if ever?" After saying that, Goliath turned and walked out of the hall.

Xanatos raised an eyebrow at Goliath's departing form "well. That went well."

"Yeah right" Brooklyn said, sarcastically, "but I'm more worried about the Quarrymen now."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, its no big surprise that they know where we live an all. I mean, everyone saw us at the cathedral when you and your chopper came and brought us back to the Eyrie. But this is the first time that they've ever attacked us here and so far, their first attack didn't go over all too well!"

Several of the clan and Xanatos nodded in understanding.

"So, since their first attack didn't go well" Xanatos thought out loud "then chances are that, most likely, they'll come back for another try?"

"Exactly!"

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**Quarrymen Headquarters: **

"So what you're telling me" Castaway spoke with a deadly cold voice "is that, despite you having a helicopter with the most advanced state of the art weaponry at your disposal! You allowed one female gargoyle to humiliate and defeat you and get charged with trespassing on Xanatos's property and damages! YOU IDIOTS!"

Had Castaway been a gargoyle then he would certainly be roaring! "HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACES AROUND HERE AFTER SUFFERING SUCH A HUMILIATING DEFEAT! GET OUT AND NEVER DARKEN MY DOORSTEP AGAIN!"

The Quarrymen in question turned and left, quietly and quickly. Castaway was a dangerous man when angered and neither of them wanted to risk that!

Castaway screamed in fury, lashed out at his desk and sent it crashing into the wall and shattering into a dozen pieces!

'Curse those filthy beasts!' He thought angrily 'once again my Quarrymen have been thwarted and now it seems that there are some more of their demon race with them!'

He thought about the newcomers that his _former _Quarrymen had informed him about? A female plus three youngsters! Judging from the description that they had given him, The older female had born a resemblance to that of the demon! So she might be a relative or even another offspring of the foul creature that had tried to destroy his race!

Jon Castaway, alias John Canmore, pondered about what he should do next until he finally came to a realisation! He would have to face the demon on her turf!

It was a dangerous mission, but he had no choice. His kind and theirs had been fighting long enough and it was time to finally put an end to the hunt once and for all!

Castaway went to his telecom and activated it "Benson? Prepare the men for a full on collision! Red Alert!"

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**The Next Night; Destine Manor: **

"Hey Gran!" Jarred asked "what is this thing that you were hollering about earlier?"

Demona looked to where Jarred was gazing at until her eyes came upon the small statuette that he had been playing with the previous night.

She smiled "the statue is a representation of Lilith! The mother of the Gargoyle race. It is said that whomever holds the statue holds the key to great power. I stole the statue from a clan in London about a century ago. I've tried to unlock its power, but… there's a catch!"

Jarred looked up "what kind of catch?"

Demona frowned "apparently, the magic only works for someone pure of heart and has the soul of a true gargoyle!"

Jarred cocked his head "so why didn't it work for you?"

Demona growled and grumbled "the magic is obviously not working right otherwise it would have given me my wish instantly, but for some reason… it didn't work for me."

Jarred smirked "sooo… what your saying is that the statue judged you of not being a worthy gargoyle huh?" Jarred laughed and then backed off when Demona glared at him with her eyes, flaring, dangerously red!

"Mother?" Darlene spoke as she came in "something wrong?"

"Noooo" Demona hissed through her teeth.

Lana walked in then and looked at the statue a bit more. "Do you think you could teach me how to use this thing? Maybe it would work for me?"

Demona laughed "sorry child, but the magic of that statue was specifically created for gargoyles to use alone. Any other creature that attempted to use its power would be immediately incinerated! I have no idea what kind of affect it would have a hybrid like you? Considering that humans and gargoyles are not even supposed to be biologically compatible, so there were never supposed to be any hybrids like you about!"

"Huh! I wish there wasn't. Then I would never be in this mess!"

Demona clenched her fangs at Lana, but didn't say anything.

"Do you keep notes?"

Demona looked at her curiously "yes. Why do you ask?"

Lana just shrugged "just wondered." She was eyeing the small statue of the sire of one of her races with considerable interest.

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**Quarrymen Headquarters: **

"Our troops are eager to begin sir!" The young quarryman reported "all of you forces will be ready to disembark in less than a week!"

Jon Castaway just stared at the report and quietly responded "I want them ready within three working days."

The quarryman blanched "but sir. We have to go through all the necessary check ups and the new supply of weapons has yet to come in! A week was the shortest I could manage it and…"

"I CARE NOTHING FOR YOUR PITIFUL EXCUSES WORM! I SAID I WANTED THE MEN READY WITHIN THREE WORKING DAYS! NOT A DAY BEFORE OR AFTER! UNDERSTAND!"

Castaway's voice echoed throughout the room and out the corridor, leaving the young quarryman quivering in his boots. "Y-y-y-yes sir. I will see to it at once."

With that, the quarryman was out of there like a shot, leaving Castaway to lean backwards in his chair, smiling coldly. "Soon demon… very soon, I will have your blood and the blood of your God forsaken race on my hands! As for your flesh, I will keep it as a trophy… something to show the kids someday."

Castaway laughed!

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**The Next Night: Destine Manor: **

Demona and Darlene had gone out for another glide together so that they could talk. Leaving Lana and Jarred to, once more, get up to mischief!

"It's gotta be around here somewhere?" Lana exclaimed, impatiently.

Jarred was looking a little nervous. He was usually the mischievous one, except when it came to messing about with his grandmother's stuff! Even he knew what a dangerous temper that she had and he certainly didn't want to entice it!

"Err... Lana?" Jarred questioned "maybe we should just forget about this? I mean, I'm all for a little dangerous fun and everything, but this is grandma that we're talking about here! Do you want to risk getting into her bad books?"

Lana thought about that for a moment "personally… no! But I do want to become human again! Even if it means risking spending the rest of my life running from grandma Demona!"

Suddenly, book with a red cover fell from the wardrobe that she searching and landed right on the tip of the tail!

"Ouch!" Lana squealed.

"Clumsy" Jarred sneered, to which Lana responded with a hard glare, but soon her glare turned into a look of joy when she picked up the notebook and examined it!

"I've found it!" She squealed with delight and began rummaging through the pages.

Jarred raced up to her to get a better look, but Lana was too tall and she kept the book way out of his sights.

"HEY! Lemme see!"

"In a minute! Let me just check something." Lana hissed as she continued rummaging through the pages of her grandmother's notes before coming up to the page that she wanted.

"AHA! Gotcha!"

She turned to the page that showed the picture of the statue of Lilith, the mother of all gargoyles. The first few pages were basically describing what the statue was and what it was all about. Everything in it was basically all that she had already learned from Demona. Until finally, she got to the part she wanted that described every detail in igniting the statue's power and granting the user a wish!

It all seemed pretty basic. If you can call magic basic? You just had to burn some herbs, write some funny squiggly lines on the floor and speak the incantation! The spirit of Lilith would then come and see into your soul, judging you whether you were a worthy gargoyle or not. If not then the spell would be broken, but if it did then it would grant you a wish! But it would only do it once with each gargoyle who summoned it's power and once alone, so be careful what you wish for!

Lana already knew what her wish would be, but she wasn't sure whether she would get it? 'If you are a worthy gargoyle?' She pondered, worryingly 'I can't be much of a gargoyle, considering that I'm a hybrid and I want to be fully human again… so what can I…?'

She suddenly thought of Jarred and looked down at him "Jarred? Do you like being a gargoyle?"

Jarred eyed her, curiously "err… yeah. Why?"

Lana slowly smiled "I've got a plan!"

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**Two Nights Later: The Roof of Destine Manor: **

"Shh! Keep it down will ya!" Lana hissed at Jarred, as they assembled all the required things up on the roof of their grandmother's mansion!

Demona and Darlene were back at Nightstone, doing some work and Gem was downstairs fast asleep. While Lana and Jarred were on the roof, getting ready to complete the spell that would bring about the magic of the statue of Lilith!

"Okay, now if we just…"

"Hey! Check that out!"

Lana looked up at Jarred's outburst in confusion before following his gaze to the sky where she saw two figures, gliding towards them! "Oh come on!" She hissed "this has GOT to be a joke?"

She quickly gathered all the necessary items back into the bag that she had carried them in and hid it behind Jarred.

"Just act natural!" She ordered her brother.

Within a few moments, two male gargoyles, a red one with a beak who she remembered as Brooklyn and a short green one with web-wings called Lexington. They landed on the roof and, almost awkwardly, approached them.

"Hi!" Lex said, as he walked towards them on all fours. His friend, Brooklyn, was looking at Lana with lust in his eyes, which made Lana very uncomfortable. But she just smiled at them, doing her best to be hospitable.

"Welcome to our home. What are you doing in these neck of the woods?"

Brooklyn just shrugged "we were on patrol when we saw you two here and thought we'd come down to say hello."

Jarred grinned "we were just about to… OOF!" He grimaced as Lana stamped on his tail and glared at her, menacingly, with her glaring back.

"We were just about to go inside for some snacks!" Lana covered quickly "wanna join us?"

"Sure!" Lex and Brooklyn said, simultaneously and hurried after them.

'I just hope mom and grandma don't come back too soon?" Lana dreaded.

She felt Jarred tugging at her tail "what?"

"What are you doing?" He asked, curiously "I thought you wanted to cast that spell and get it over and done with?"

"I do" she hissed "but we can't very much do it while we've got these two clowns here can we? We'll just have to get rid of them, as soon as we can and get that stupid spell done before mom and grandma get back!"

Jarred cursed under his breath and followed his sister back into the mansion.

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_Silver Hammer to Gold Hammer! Our troops are in position! Ready to proceed at your order sir! _

Castaway frowned from behind his computer screen "not just yet. I don't see the demon there with them and I remember those gargoyles. From what I've learnt of them, they are sworn enemies of her and wouldn't come voluntarily into her house unless it was in battle or if she wasn't there? Continue with the surveillance and contact me as soon as you spot the demon!"

_Yes sir! _

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After about an hour, Lana was ready to call the spell quits and commits murder! Each and every attempt that they made to get rid of the two unexpected and most unwelcome visitors went completely bust! Neither Brooklyn nor Lexington was able to take a hint.

For the last hour, Lana had to put up with constant bickering from the two, as they flirted with her, listening to stories of their heroic past, flexing their muscles and other things! She used to put up with this kind of stuff in high school, but this was much worse! Probably because back in high school, if a girl told you to get lost then they would probably just go find another girl to annoy. But with these guys that was no option, as there were no other girls to flirt with?

'Why me?' She wondered, hopelessly.

They had to get rid of them soon. Her mother and grandmother would be coming back soon and she still had the spell to complete! She had to think of something, but what?

"So there was me and about a dozen steel clan robots. We fought and fought until for sure I thought I was gonna get my trail fried when… " Brooklyn was in the middle of another one of his babbles about his heroic deeds.

'Maybe' she growled 'if I just tell him to take his posturing ass and go…' Suddenly, the alarm went off!

Brooklyn and Lex instantly went into battle mode and stood with their eyes lit and their instincts open.

Jarred came in a moment later with Gem who had been woken by the alarm and was now crying, as loud as her lungs would permit.

"Sorry" he said "I was playing around with some of Gran's electronic stuff and must have tripped the alarm by mistake?"

Lana frowned, "Jarred, you dumbshit!"

"Sorry! How was I to know that this would happen?"

"Well turn the freakin thing off would ya?"

"I can't! I don't know how?"

"I can help with that" Lexington offered helpfully "I know a lot about electronics and alarm systems" he said, boastfully while looking at Lana, obviously doing this to hopefully impress her "show me where the alarm system is and I'll take a look at it!"

"I'll come with you!" Brooklyn offered, quickly.

"Huh?" Lex said "what do you know about electronics? You can't even get the damn VCR working!"

"Can so! And I bet I can get this thing working before you do?"

"Brooklyn" Lana said, "it IS working. We want to turn it off, remember?"

"Oh" Brooklyn replied, sheepishly.

Lana suddenly saw an opportunity "but why don't you go with them anyway? In case they need any help. I'll feel much safer, knowing that the two of you are there to work on it!"

Brooklyn's face lit up "sure!" He said and hurried off after the two.

"Suckerrrrrr" Lana smirked and hurried back to the roof where she had left the items for the spell.

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_Blue Leader to Red Admiral! The young female gargoyle has reappeared on the roof again. Should we attack? _

"Is there any sign of the demon?"

_No… wait! Yes sir, reports have sighted the demon on her way here along with another female gargoyle about her age! _

Castaway's eyes lit up with anticipation and lust, the lust to kill! "Wait for my signal then attack with everything you've got!"

_Yes, sir! _

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Lana retrieved the bag and ran downstairs. She didn't have a lot of time left and she doubted that her two would be suitors would leave her alone for very much longer?

She poured the items onto the floor and began rummaging through them. She grabbed the chalk and the book and opened it to the page where it showed the ritual circle that she had to draw and started drawing.

It wasn't a very big or complicated circle and she was a fast drawer anyway, so it didn't take long, but the spell was the worst part! It was all written in Latin and she didn't know the first thing about Latin or even how to pronounce it?

'I guess I'll just have to take a chance? There's no going back now!'

She looked at the long complicated words and took a deep breath…

"Sorry again" Jarred spoke "but I said that I didn't know anything about machines, so how was I to know that all you had to do was press the red button and the thing would turn off?"

"Err… how about the fact that it had on and off marked onto it?" Brooklyn asked, sarcastically.

"Brook!" Lex half growled at his rookery brother and then talked to Jarred in a more pleasant tone "its all right. You didn't know."

'Actually, I did know' Jarred thought. He just hoped that he had given his sister enough time to complete the spell otherwise he'd never hear the end of it!

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from up above and the mansion shook!

"What the hell?" Brooklyn shouted and ran up the stairs, on all fours with Lex tailing him.

"Ohhhh crap! Lana, what the hell have you done now?"

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Lana burned the herbs in the bowl while she spoke the incantation, silently praying that it would work!

The herbs burned and gave off a sickly sweet smell that filled the room, making her feel quite ill.

She planted the bowl in front of the statue and spoke the final words of the spell! If this worked then she would be on her way to being a normal teenage girl again! If not then… she'd just have to do it again, this time with Jarred right beside her. She still didn't know whether the spirit of Lilith, or whatever it was, would grant her wish? She certainly didn't feel like a proper gargoyle. She didn't even want to be one.

As she spoke the final word, she heard a loud explosion come from up above! "What the…"

She suddenly heard her mother's cry of pain, coming from up on the roof!

The blood drained from Lana's face, as she heard her mother's cry! She quickly forgot all about the spell and rushed upstairs screaming, "MUMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

All the while, she didn't notice the statue's eyes start to glow, as though it was watching Lana's every move.

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"Urghhhh" Darlene groaned, as she massaged a sore spot on her wing and everywhere else "if I ever see another damn filing report or CV, it'll be too soon!" She glared at her mother "mother! The next time when I agree to help you with your business just do me a favour and shoot me!"

Demona chuckled "it'll give you experience, daughter. Remember that one day, you'll be running the business!"

Darlene paused at that. The way she said it, it made it feel like her mother thought she was going to die someday? What would an immortal want with an heir? "Mother are you alright?"

"Of course, why?" Demona looked at her, puzzled.

"It's just that… you're an immortal right? So why would you want or need an heir to take over your business when you're obviously going to be around a lot longer than I or anyone else for that matter?"

Demona suddenly took on a haunted look "I'm sorry. I guess that I just forgot?"

The truth was that for the first time in years, if not centuries, Demona was truly happy and content with herself. For a brief moment, she almost completely forgot about her centuries of isolation and bitter hatred against humanity. Most of all, she almost forgot that she was an immortal, destined to face eternity alone and watch, as her children and their descendants all grew old and died whereas she remained eternally young!

Some people would probably think she had the world's greatest gift, to not be able to age and live forever, but the truth was… she would sell her soul to be mortal again! To grow old with her family and then silently pass away into the next world. After centuries of being hunted and watching death, she longed for her own.

A small tear slid down her cheek, as she pondered these thoughts. An action that did not go unnoticed by her second born and yet eldest child!

"Mother?"

Demona turned her watery eyes to Darlene and attempted a small smile. Darlene was about to respond when… A shooting sound came from their right and Demona was shot in the wing.

"Mother!" Darlene cried out in fright, but didn't have time to go catch her when a loud explosion came from in front of her and sent her crashing to the earth!

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"That's it!" Castaway yelled, insanely, from his private helicopter "kill them! Kill both of the demons!"

Darlene crash-landed onto the roof of her home and tried, vainly, to get up, but the injuries she had sustained from the explosion were too severe and she could barely manage to lift her wing.

Wing? She suddenly thought of her mother and saw her coming towards her, her injured wing, folded over her shoulder. She hurried over to Darlene and checked her injuries out.

"You know" Darlene whispered in pain "maybe we should just skip going out and spend the nights home?"

Demona smiled, briefly, but snapped to attention when she heard the Quarrymen helicopters making their way towards them!

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Castaway smiled, evilly, as they came within range. Soon… very soon, he would have the demon that his family had hunted for throughout the centuries and the hunt would at long last come to an end! And when she was gone, the rest of her kind would follow, starting with that damned Goliath and his clan!

"Sir?"

Castaway looked up at his tactical officer "what is it?"

"We have company!"

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Brooklyn, Lexington and Jarred, with Gem in his arms, ran through the corridors to the living room, but found no sign of Lana!

"Where the hell is she?" Brooklyn cursed and looked to Jarred for answers.

Jarred just shrugged with Gem, starting to cry, "I don't know! I was down in the control room, the same as you, so how would I know?"

Brooklyn cursed again "Look! Just stay here with your sister and keep her from crying, okay? Go back to the control room, you should be safe there, so don't come out till we come and get you!"

"But my sister… "

"THAT'S AN ORDER" Brooklyn bellowed, his patience stretched!

Jarred took a step back and nodded, slowly and went back down the corridor to his grandmother's control room.

"Brooklyn, lets go! Lana might be in trouble?" Lexington insisted and ran, as fast as his legs and arms could carry him with Brooklyn following right behind him.

Neither of them noticed the strange statue with the glowing eyes sitting on the floor. Nor did they notice Jarred, as he sneaked back, after putting Gem back in her cot and telling her to hush up! Even though she couldn't understand a word he was saying.

But Jarred noticed the statue and picked it up, curiously "Lana must have got the thing working! I better keep this thing with me, it might come in handy?"

He stuffed the statue into his short's pocket and leaped all the way to the roof.

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Darlene shrieked and dodged the bullet and ended up with only a grazed arm!

"Damn Quarrymen" she swore! She had only been a gargoyle again for a short time and already, she was getting mighty pissed off! She could understand her mother's hatred for humanity if this was what she had put up with from them for over a thousand years? She couldn't condone it, but she could understand it.

She shrieked again, as another blast from another laser gun, shot at her! Only this time, it got her in the midsection, and left her gasping for air.

One of the Quarrymen came up to her with his hammer; all charged up and ready for use! "Time to say bye-bye, monster!" He raised his hammer, getting ready to strike the killing blow!

Darlene looked for her mother, but saw that she had her talons full, with six other Quarrymen going at her! 'Lana, Jarred, Gem…' she thought of her children, her babies and prayed that they would be all right and that they would get out alive! She felt warm tears of fear, pain and grief creep into her eyes, as she thought of her youngsters and closed them, waiting for the Quarryman's death strike!

So she missed the bone crunching body slam, as Brooklyn dove at the Quarryman and slammed him into a brick wall, nearly cracking his head open!

Brooklyn shook his head and tutted "don't you know, it's impolite to hit a lady when she's down?"

Darlene opened her eyes and gaped at the red gargoyle "what are you doing here… not that I'm complaining!"

Brooklyn shrugged "we say Lana and Jarred playing on the roof a little while ago and thought we'd pay a visit! I'm glad that we did now!"

"So am I" she said. Though she was wondering what Lana and Jarred had been doing up on the roof, when she had specifically told them never to go up on it? But she decided to bother with that at another time, preferably when they were not in danger of dying like right now!

Lana had been the first to arrive on the roof and watch her mother get shot right in front of her, but being the inexperienced youth that she was. All she could do was stand and watch in shock with her mouth gaping open. It was only when Brooklyn and Lex came up and rushed straight into action that she finally woke up out of her stupor!

"MOM!" She cried and ran to her mother's side "are you all right?"

Darlene groaned "well aside from a gun shot wound, some bruised ribs, bleeding and the fact that my hair-do is totally ruined… I'm fine."

Lana smiled "you never were the good liar."

"Hmmm… whereas you were the perfect liar in the family! Speaking of which, what may I ask were you and your brother doing up on the roof when I specifically told you never to come up here?"

Lana's blue face turned paler, as she forced a smile, which quickly turned into a shocked one when a quarryman tried to hit her with a quarry-hammer!

"Maybe we can talk about that later," she yelled over the mass hysteria that was building up around them "depending on our survival?"

Jarred ran up onto the roof shortly after Brooklyn and Lex arrived on the scene. The whole roof looked like the middle of a war zone! "Cool" he said, as he felt the weight of the statue pulling his pocket down, threatening to tear it. "Damn! This things heavier than it looks?"

He took the statue out of his pocket and then narrowly dodged a quarryman's hammer, as it was thrown at his head! "HEY! Watch where you're throwing that thing will ya! You could have crushed my skull with that thing!"

"Jarred" Lana yelled "that's the whole point of them being gargoyle slayers isn't it? If they didn't try to kill us then they wouldn't be much good at their job would they?"

"WHOA!" He yelped as another quarry-hammer struck at his head. And in the entire scuffle, he didn't notice that he had dropped the statue onto the floor.

Lexington roared, as he flipped over his second quarryman of the night and then noticed Lana aiding her mother. After ensuring himself that Darlene was fine, he briefly frowned to himself 'typical! My best hours of fighting and she's not even watching!" He then scolded himself for thinking that and by doing so, narrowly escaped getting hit by yet another quarry hammer!

'Damn! These guys just don't know when to quit!' He thought.

"THAT'S IT!" A loud screech came from the Quarrymen, a loud voice that sounded familiar? "KILL THEM! KILL ALL THE FREAKS OF NATURE!"

Now he knew who that was… Jon Castaway!

He glared up at the leader of the Quarrymen, right in the middle of his flock! The Quarrymen were like sheep! Stupid brainless sheep that followed his every word because he held the biggest hammer and spoke words that appealed to their hunter's nature!

Nothing, at that moment, would please him more than to take that quarry-hammer of his and shove it down that big horse ass's throat! But right now, he had more important things to worry about like staying alive!

Three more quarrymen with shotguns aimed and took fire at him and the rest of the clan…

Did he just say clan? Since when was Demona considered a part of the clan again?

He didn't have time to speculate on this, as the quarrymen continued firing on him!

'Damn!' He thought, desperately 'we need back up!' He reached into his loincloth and pulled out his radio transmitter to make a call!

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Lana screamed and dodged the bullets that were flying towards her at the speed of light. She couldn't handle this! How was she supposed to fight these maniacs? She just wanted to be human again and live a normal human life! That wasn't so much to ask for, was it?

She remembered an old saying that said something about everything in this world comes with a price? If that were true then if she were to become human again, would she have to sacrifice her family? NO! She'd be damned if she'd ever let that happen! She loved her mother and siblings more than anything and yes, God help her, she even loved her bitchy grandmother!

If that was the price for her humanity then to hell with it! She just wished that she could get rid of this stupid tail between her legs!

A hand grenade went off behind her and flew her into the brick wall! The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was a tall quarryman, standing the centre of the all the other men, laughing madly, as he came forward… to her mother and grandmother!

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Demona growled, as the filthy human who had dared to hurt her family came closer. Her injuries had started out severe, but thanks to the Wyrd Sister's spell of immortality, they were now healing quite nicely. But they still had a long way to go and if it was one thing that she didn't have, was time!

The human walked closer with his cursed hammer, activating it, as he came forward! Although his hood covered his face, she could swear she could feel him smiling through his hood.

"Well, demon! It looks like the hunt finally ends tonight, with me!"

That voice…Hunt! "Hunter!" She snarled, as she tried in vain to at least get up, but with very little success.

The Hunter laughed maniacally "it's all over demon! Tonight, it's all over. You, the hunt… "

He never got to finish what he was going to say next, as Brooklyn slammed himself into him.

Brooklyn cursed. "I never dreamed that I'd be saving your tail, Demona?"

Demona also looked more than a little surprised at his rescue, but she couldn't help smiling "if it makes you feel any better Brooklyn? I'm sure this selfless sacrifice of yours will win you some points with my granddaughter."

If Brooklyn's skin hadn't have been born red then she would be certain that he was blushing.

Unfortunately, as brave and strong as Brooklyn was. Not even he could withstand the force of over a dozen Quarrymen! He gasped at the sight of the Quarrymen, as they all took aim at his position with their quarry-hammers and guns.

Brooklyn swallowed "umm… I don't suppose there's any way we could talk this thing out is there?"

They clicked off their safety triggers and raised their weapons.

"Didn't think so!"

Lexington roared, as a quarry-hammer hit into his shoulder, but didn't slow down, as he whipped his tail around the Quarryman's neck and threw him halfway across the roof!

The sound of a dozen safety caps going off got his attention, as he turned to the left and saw Brooklyn standing in front of Demona and Darlene, with a load of Quarrymen with guns pointing at him!

'Oh shit!' He thought.

A wail of anger came from his right, and before he could blink, Lana staggered on all fours towards the Quarry mob with blood pouring from her injuries.

"LANA! NOOOOO!" Darlene screamed, as the quarrymen turned to the sound of her daughter's wail and aimed fire at her instead!

Fortunately, thus gave Brooklyn the opportunity he needed and he dove right at them while giving Lexington the time he needed to grab Lana around the legs and force her down before she got shot!

'Damn! She's got nice legs' he thought, as he held her down, stroking them without even realising he was doing it.

Lexington instantly shook his head, hard! He soooo needed to get a girlfriend!

Another loud roar made him look up.

Lana restrained herself from kicking Lexington in the face! Both from the facts that he was keeping her from getting to her mother… and for touching her leg! This guy obviously hadn't had much luck in the girl department?

A loud roar from up above made her look up! She stared and saw the lavender giant, Goliath, come swooping down out of the sky followed by the older gargoyle, Hudson and Auntie Angela?

'There is no way in hell that I'm ever going to get used to calling her that!' She thought.

The rest of the Quarrymen gazed up in fear, as the mountain of muscle bared his fangs at them, his eyes blazing like a demon out of hell! Most of them began edging back towards their helicopter to make their escape, but Castaway saw them and cut off their retreat.

"DON'T YOU DARE! GET BACK IN THERE AND FIGHT LIKE QUARRYMEN! THE DEMONS MUST DIE!"

Some of the more loyal, braver and stupider Quarrymen raced in with their hammers charged, but didn't last a second, as Goliath beat them aside with his massive tree-trunk of an arm!

Goliath snarled and spoke "I give you this one chance, Quarrymen! Leave now or suffer the consequences of your actions?" He glared at them, menacingly. Daring them to take him on.

The Quarrymen looked at each other, blinked a few times and then dropped their quarry-hammers.

"Screw this!" A young Quarryman said, "nothing is worth getting whooped and trampled by this guy!"

The rest of the mob concurred and followed his example, racing to get back into the chopper and fleeing for their lives.

Castaway roared in anger "YOU FILTHY TRAITEROUS SCUM! YOU WILL ALL SUFFER FOR THIS!"

"Oh?" Goliath asked, quizzically "and what may I ask are you going to do now Castaway? What with all of your Quarrymen departing the scene!"

Castaway looked back and saw that despicable Goliath and the rest of the freaks, all gathering their strength and growling at him, menacingly! They were clearly not pleased and were in the mood for war!

Castaway checked to make sure that he was truly all alone and cursed "damn you Goliath! I swear I will get you for this and the next time, I swear I will be the one who will cut you down to size!"

"Ohhh get a life will ya!" Jarred snorted.

Darlene raised herself to her feet and noticed an odd looking statue, lying by her talon? She picked it, curiously and noticed that its eyes were glowing? 'What in the… '

A loud shot was heard and Lana screamed! Darlene snapped her eyes to the sight of her daughter lying on the floor with a burning hole in her side.

Castaway's mocking laugh could be heard, as he boarded his chopper and prepared to take off "there's something to remember me by! Until we meet again monsters!"

Darlene howled in despair for her daughter and vicious anger that would have made her mother proud, for Castaway! "You… you good for nothing, miserable… HATCHLING!"

She roared the last word out with; as much anger and hate that she could master and didn't even notice the statue's eyes glow one more time before fading out.

Castaway laughed insanely, but stopped, as he felt a wave of dizziness, go over him and he slumped to the floor.

"Sir?" A concerned Quarryman came to his aid, but Castaway punched him, furiously, leaving him with a broken nose!

Castaway glared at the man, dangerously "don't… even… think about trying to act concerned soldier! You betrayed me by not going after our enemies, as you were supposed to! NONE OF YOU DID!" He shouted to all the men present, making them cringe in fear. "Once we get back, you will all be stripped of your ranks and sent back into training!"

The men cowered. It was nice wise to question Castaway when he was mad.

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Darlene made to go after Castaway, but stopped when she heard Lana's weak voice speak to her.

"Mom?" Lana whimpered. Darlene was at her side immediately and gently cradled Lana in her arms, as she nursed her aching wing.

"Shhh… " Darlene tried to soothe her "its all right. Everything's all right now. Those cursed Quarrymen are long gone!"

"Is she all right?" A grave voice spoke behind her and she looked up into Goliath's concerned eyes.

'I can see why mother had the hots for this guy' she thought. "Yes, it's just some cuts, bruises and a small bullet wound through the wing. They should all heal quite nicely come sunrise?"

Goliath nodded and then noticed the statue in her hand. "May I ask, what is that in your hand?"

Darlene looked at the statue in curiosity. "Actually, I was just gonna ask that myself." She looked to her children with a dark frown "mind telling me what this thing was doing here on the roof?"

Lana and Jarred suddenly looked very uncomfortable "umm… well… you see, we were… "

"Weeellllllll?"

Lana hissed in pain and Darlene took on a more concerned look, but that didn't excuse the fact that her children had been stealing! She recognised the statue all too well; she just wanted her children to admit it!

"Okay, it was my idea!" Lana hissed in pain "I got Jarred to help me look through some of Grandma's papers and find the spell that worked that stupid thing! I was going to use it to turn me back into a human again, but those stupid quarrymen came and ruined the whole thing!"

"YOU DID WHAT?" Demona's angry voice filled the sky. Her own granddaughter had been using magic without her consent and to _change _herself back into _a puny human_!

Demona was pissed! Lana and Jarred cowered behind their mother, but even she was looking mighty mad at them.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Demona growled at them. "Do you have any idea, how dangerous it is to cast a spell like that?"

Lana and Jarred just shook their heads.

"The statue of Lilith scans the minds of those who would use it's magic for their own purposes! If the statue finds the person to be an unworthy spirit and not a true gargoyle then not only doesn't it grant their wish, but it burns them to a crisp as well!"

Lana and Jarred froze with a look of shock on their faces "HUH?"

"You heard me!"

"But," Lana stammered. "You used the statue once and you're still here though it found you unworthy?"

"I'm immortal, remember? Anything that that statue did to me, I could easily walk away from without a scratch… well, after a few hours anyway."

Lana gulped and swallowed the lump that had formed in her mouth. 'My God! If I had used… I might have been… '

"It's okay!" Brooklyn spoke, as he came up to her and gently touched her arm to comfort her "you didn't know what was gonna happen." Lexington came up behind him and touched her shoulder in his own attempt at comfort "yeah! You couldn't have known what might have happened and it all worked out for the best! You're still here and we're all alive!" He gave her his best winning smile.

"Ahhhh…' Lana rolled her eyes and fainted.

Lexington stared at her and then glared at Brooklyn's mocking grin. "If you so much as breath a word… soooo help me!"

"What about those creepy guys with the hoods?" Jarred asked.

"The Quarrymen?" Demona answered "they're gone for now, but knowing humans… they'll be back eventually. We'll just have to be ready for them, which is something I usually always am!" Demona smirked confidently. "In the meantime though… my statue please?"

Darlene handed the statue over to Demona.

Demona took the statue from her and inspected it "well, at least you didn't get to finish the spell."

"Huh?" Lana groaned, as she awoke and looked around.

"Grandma was saying that it's a good thing that you didn't get to finish the spell otherwise you'd be toast right about now!" Jarred grinned.

Lana just looked confused "wha... but I did finish the spell! I was just about to make my wish when I heard mom yell, but I never got to make it!"

Demona suddenly looked a little pale "but… " She checked the statue again to make sure. "The statue's power isn't active! That means that either you didn't do the spell right or… you or someone else made a wish or something and the statue granted it?"

"Well don't look at me" Lana said defiantly "I was too busy fighting for my life to wish anything. Jarred?"

"Uh uh!"

Darlene looked at the others. "Did anyone at all make a wish during the battle?"

None of the gargoyles had much of a clue what they were talking about, so she quickly filled them in on the statue of Lilith. "It's basically a statue representative of Lilith, the woman who sired the gargoyle race! It's said that whomever ignites the power of the statue without getting fried, gets to use its power. Lana was using it tonight WITHOUT our permission or supervision!" She glared at her eldest "but she never got to use it. However, it looks, as though someone did! Now we're trying to figure out who?"

Goliath growled "another one of your tricks Demona."

Demona snarled, but stopped when Darlene held out her talon. "Mother, please. No more fighting tonight, we're pretty beat enough, as it is."

She looked back towards the clan "did any of you make a wish at all?"

"It doesn't matter if they did or didn't" Demona said "You don't have to say _I wish _like in those stupid human cartoons or stories! You just have to hold the statue and use the statue, as you would use a wand and just say what you want."

Darlene began to go a little pale herself "did anyone hold the statue at all?"

Only Jarred came forward "only me mom. But I swear I didn't say anything or use it at all!"

Darlene sighed, "I was holding the thing, but I don't think I used it… "

"What do you mean you don't think you used it?" Demona questioned anxiously.

Darlene fidgeted a little "when that stupid dick Castaway was on the run. I got a little mad and shouted something at him and I was holding the statue at the time. But I don't think anything happened? At least, none that I can remember."

Demona frowned "well, if it did then I can guess time will only tell and if it does… then I can't think of a better person for it to happen than John Castaway!"

Goliath spoke. "And what will become of the quarrymen should anything happen to Castaway, Demona? If their leader suddenly disappears then they'll blame it on us and Castaway's name will suddenly become legendary! He'll become a monarch for his kind and the Quarrymen will never disband! We'll be fighting them for all time!"

Demona hated Goliath when he was right, but she would never give him the satisfaction "ohhh… and do the quarrymen scare you Goliath?" She cooed at him like she did with her granddaughter Gem.

Goliath's eyes blazed and just when he was about to retort, Darlene shouted "OH GOD! WHERE'S GEM?"

Jarred instantly ran to the stairs "I left her downstairs!"

The two clans ran off to find the youngest hatchling!

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**Quarrymen Headquarters: **

"Leave me to my quarters and report to me in the morning! Dismissed!" Castaway ordered, as his men quickly shuffled away before he could shout at them again like he had been for the past hour since their disastrous battle with the demon and her progeny.

Castaway slammed the door in a huff and stomped over to his bed, rubbing his forehead, painfully. His head had been hurting ever since they had left the demon's lair and he felt so damn tired?

He yawned and slumped onto his bed and allowed the deep wave of sleepiness and fatigue take over him. So tired he was that he didn't notice the slow changes that were beginning to occur all over his body?

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**Three Hours Later: **

Castaway yawned and slowly awoke. He stretched his muscles and instantly felt something different?

His body felt like it had had pins and needles stabbed into him all night? He turned over and knew something was wrong! It felt, as though he had an extra set of arms and an extra leg?

He got up, as fast as he could and stopped, as his trousers fell to the ground. He looked down at his clothes and saw that they were many sizes too big for him, but that wasn't the worst part! He raised his hands to his eyes and stared at them, non-comprehensive. Instead of two adult human hands, he saw… two tiny gargoyle paws?

"No… " He whispered, unbelieving and fled to the bathroom that was adjoined to his room and rushed up to the mirror! He had to stand on a stool to see into it, but when he did, he wished that he hadn't!

There, staring back at him, was the face of a young, mischievous looking and rather cute little gargoyle child! It looked almost like he did when he had been five years old except that he had never had any large pointy ears, fangs, wings, tail and claws… etc!

Castaway, hesitantly, reached out and touched the mirror and then himself. "No" he repeated to himself and then began shrieking "NONONONONONONONONO…"

Castaway screamed into the room and fled before anyone could see him. He screamed in horror and denial, as he fled from his room, his headquarters and his street until his running brought him all the way into Central Park. Still, he didn't stop and wouldn't stop until the moment came when his nightmare would end and he would wake up as his normal human self. But unfortunately, that moment was a long way away!

Castaway fled into the park, screaming and snarling until at last, the sun rose and encased him in a shell of stone for the day!

**To Be Continued… **


End file.
